Cupra Formentor review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

You certainly get much more space in the Cupra Ateca than the Cupra Formentor, which trades some of the Ateca’s practicality for a sportier look. Legroom is good and headroom is perfectly fine, and the standard petrol models have a decent-sized boot - but the plug-in hybrids lose a bit of luggage space as the batteries are located under the boot floor.

Size

The Formentor is 4,450mm long and 1,839mm wide (excluding mirrors), a little bigger than the Mercedes GLA and BMW X2 in both dimensions. It’s actually a tad longer than the Cupra Ateca, too.  

Leg room, head room & passenger space

As the Formentor measures a little longer than the Ateca, there’s a bit more legroom in the rear seats. Headroom is good, too; the coupe roofline hasn’t made the Formentor completely impractical. It’ll be spacious enough for most people, with only the tallest brushing up against the headliner. Even with the chunky front seats, it doesn’t feel too claustrophobic in the back. Should you want the interior to feel even more airy, a panoramic sunroof costs £1,200-£1,400 depending on spec.  

Boot

20

Boot capacity is a mixed bag with the Formentor. Two-wheel-drive petrol models feature a generous 450-litre capacity - more than a Ford Kuga or the outgoing Nissan Qashqai - but adding four-wheel drive reduces capacity by 30 litres. Four-wheel-drive models still have a slightly bigger boot than the Cupra Leon or Volkswagen Golf GTI, though.

The hybrid models offer 345 litres, which isn’t particularly impressive for a car of this size. You get a similar amount of boot space in the compact Hyundai Kona, although the Formentor e-Hybrid does offer more than the Leon e-Hybrid and its meagre 270 litres.

Towing 

Up a 12% gradient, the Formentor can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1,500-1,800kg depending on the engine you pick. The most powerful engine offers the biggest towing capacity in the range. Having a towbar installed costs just over £700.